The Reunion of a lifetime
by thegoldenatlas
Summary: It's been six years, six years since the day Viren attacked the storm spire, four years since he and Claudia attacked again with the help of a Startouched elf. The day Viren attacked the spire he had told Rayla of a collection showing a small pouch, the next time he attacked she asked where it was, telling her in his last breath that they will suffer forever...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It's been six years, six years since the day Viren attacked the storm spire, four years since he and Claudia attacked again with the help of a Startouched elf. The day Viren attacked the spire he had told Rayla of a collection showing a small pouch, the next time he attacked she asked where it was, telling her in his last breath that they will suffer forever. Rayla searched. She had parties sent out for days to search near the spire but to no avail, she had given up, maybe it was a lie to scare her, she wondered but had to move on. Years passed and she forgot about the pouch. Now that pouch will bring back something she thought to never see again…

* * *

_Present-day…_

Hidden in the dirt near where Viren had fallen, missed by search parties, covered in leaves and left forgotten lies a small pouch. The small pouch began to vibrate as though it pulsed like a heart slowly the vibrations and pulses became a more distinct one, two, no three distinct heartbeats could be heard from the pouch before it was shredded to reveal four coins, three of which were pulsing with dark magic before exploding with a force of what seemed like hundreds of powder kegs, of dark energy. Several nearby Dragonguard who were on patrol hear this explosion fearing they were under attack, they draw their weapons and rush to the source to find three elves struggling to stand. The Dragonguard already confused yelled out to them asking who they are, coughing one responded "what… where are we", The guard pressed on "Speak, what is your name!" One of the other elves, coughing, responds "I.. am Taidrin of the Dragonguard." The Dragonguards all look at each other for a moment before one tells the others to help them to the spire. One elf though, in particular, was confused by the name he heard "Taidrin?" he said questioningly as he managed to stand to look to her and look around to see Lain also there. Taidrin recognising the voice turns to see Runaan standing there "RUNAAN?!" She yells out and rushes to him "How are you here!" She started shaking him as he tried to respond "ugh some dark mage….", Lain recognising what he meant "Say no more how he got you I don't want to know, for now, let's just follow the Dragonguards to the queen..." Runaan, reluctant to see the Queen of the Dragons, agrees to follow up the mountain with the guards.

As they walk up the stairs to the queen's lair, Lain looks back at Runaan seeing how bad of condition he's in, "Lord Runaan what happened to you? Why do you have a binding on your arm?! What happened to your horn!" Runaan realizing the binding was still on him and hasn't cut off his arm yet responds "I was on a mission…. To kill the King of Katolis and his son." Taidrin, hearing Runaan already knowing why he was on a mission like that, "The egg…. So we failed to save it ..." Runaan not wanting her to feel bad tries to correct her. "No, you saved it…. I just wonder what happened after..." They continued to walk in silence for a bit and reach the top of the mountain and the entrance of the lair. A guard walked to the Queen and spoke to her telling her the names of those who had been found, even outside the lair a great roar could be heard from the lair as if surprise and joy overtook the dragon inside, Lain and Taidrin looked at each other confused as to what had just been heard, "why would she be happy? we failed ..."

The three of them stood there waiting until they saw a guard rushing back to them, "Queen Zubiea wishes to speak with you three", "Very well..." Said Lain seeming accustomed to that behaviour. It didn't take long for them to get to the entrance of the lair but once they got to the entrance Runaan was tackled to the ground from behind "AGH", "Azimondias get off him!" the Queen spoke in a kind but commanding voice that shook the mountain and the lair residing within. Lain and Taidrin meanwhile were looking awestruck at what was before them, the dragon prince, they immediately bowed to both the Queen and her son. Taidrin was the first to speak up as the young prince got off Runaan, "My Queen what has transpired in the time we have been gone… we thought the prince was attacked when we blacked out..."

The queen stood for a moment seemingly looking for the words to say until she spoke with a low rumble of the ground "My guards, you two have been thought dead for nearly six years now..." Lain and Taidrin stood there gobsmacked by what they had heard, _six years…. Six years we've been missing_ they thought to themselves as they looked at one another, then they turned to Runaan who seemed just as amazed by the statement made by the Queen and Lain asked him "Is this true have we been gone for six years!?" Runaan looked dazed at first before responding "well for me you've been gone a few months so I guess it is true'', "How have we been gone so long where have we been…." The queen waited a moment to let them process what she just said before continuing, "In the time you were gone my son has been returned to me, the mage that had taken him has been killed by human hands and peace has come, to be exact your daughter, Rayla brought my son back to me, she's a good girl, well, was a girl now she's a strong woman," Lain, Tiadrin and Runaan all looked at each other all of them were happy at what they heard but also coming to realize that they missed so much. How could they miss such an important thing as this, they wondered. Taidrin and Lain then turned to the queen, "Wheres Rayla!?, How is she!?" said Lain dropping the formalities, the Queen, however, laughed a little, shaking the lair as she did "you wouldn't believe me if I said it, but last time I spoke with her she was going to Katolis with a surprise for someone there," she said with what they could only assume to be a dragon's smile. "Why would she go to Katolis?!" Lain responded in a panic "We have to go after her!", the Queen, however, laughed again "oh you have no idea all the things that you three have missed…. She became my guard captain after returning my son to me and I gave her leave until her surprise was old enough," Lain and Taidrin looked at each other processing what she said "Until her surprise was… old enough..." they said to each other realizing what she meant "RAYLA HAS A CHILD!" they exclaimed at the top of their lungs, "I hope you like the boy as much as I do, he's a good man… Now I think you three should rest here for a day or two then go to her. Runaan, on the other hand, should go back to the Silvergrove. I'm sure your flower has risen again..." the Queen said to the three before her. "Ah yes Runaan was it? Step forward." Zubeia knew that his binding was no longer needed but was impressed at how it hadn't removed his arm yet, Runaan nervously walked forward "My queen what is it?", "Runaan calm down. I'm only going to remove your binding" and as she said that she brought her claw to his arm and pulled the binding off with ease. Runaan staggered for a second feeling blood rush back into his arm again, he had forgotten that it was even going to be lost to the binding.

They stood there for a moment before a guard came in and showed them to an empty room for them to rest in and talk. The room was decorated in traditional Moonshadow decor most likely to put them at ease. Lain and Taidrin sat down while Runaan paced in the room, unable to calm down, then Lain spoke up "Runnan, what happened after we went missing?"  
Runaan startled to reality again by the question grimaced at the months that transpired after the egg was presumed destroyed. "Well...Everyone assumed the Dragonguard to have fled, they were all labelled traitors, both of you are ghosts to the Silvergrove….", "That… makes sense we failed our duty anyway…." said Lain not happy at his own statement but Runaan continued, "Rayla… didn't take it well to say the least, she grew to hate you two… later when I was sent on a mission to kill the king of Katolis and his son as revenge for their actions she begged for me to take her...", " but then she ruined the mission she let a human go everyone was killed and I was taken prisoner but Rayla and the princes of Katolis found the egg I guess she managed to get it here…" Lain and Taidrin sat there processing everything, what hell has Rayla gone through to keep the egg safe? Is she alright now? Does she still hate us? Questions ran through their minds until Lain spoke, "We need rest let's just rest and then head out to find Rayla...", "What about Ethari'' asked Taidrin "He probably thought you were dead too! We should send word to him and have him come here. We need someone who knows this new world we are in..." Runaan didn't like the idea but also missed Ethari so he relented and agreed to send a shadowhawk letter to tell him where they were. They sent the letter then went to sleep each of them wanting to know more of what has happened but still overwhelmed by what they know already.

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Note: Hello everyone we are very excited to bring this to you all and hope y'all enjoy it please tell us what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Back at the Silvergrove Ethari is working at his desk when he hears people yelling for him outside. _Huh? That's weird, I wonder what they want _he gets up and goes to check out what it is. Only to see that the assassins lily pond was glowing, Rayla's still floated atop the water, but the water below was glowing and elves were looking at the pond wondering what it meant when suddenly the light began to grow brighter. "What's going on?" he thought out loud and before anyone could answer the pond's water started to shake and then the light began to fade, it faded to one point, a small lily flower that now floated next to Rayla's. Ethari knew whose it was "Runaan..." he said dropping to his knees, "He...he's alive? How?"...

* * *

_Back at the Spire..._

Runaan, Lain and Tiadrin were talking to the Queen about where they needed to go, "Oh I didn't tell you? Just go to Katolis' royal castle, that's where she's bound to be," the Queen said. She didn't want to reveal everything to them, she knew if she told them everything they would be too overwhelmed. _One thing at a time _she thought to herself. "The castle? Why is she at the castle?" Taidrin asked both worried and confused, "Just go there and ask to speak with Rayla, she should explain everything to you three". After giving up on finding more out from the queen they rested two more days letting Ethari get to the spire…

_Two days later…_

Ethari arrived at the base of the spire, "WHERE'S RUNAAN?!" he asked the guard stationed at the base.

The guard, at first confused, quickly realized he meant one of the elves they found and escorted Ethari up the spire. Runaan and the Queen were discussing how they would get to Rayla when Ethari burst into the lair seeing Runaan.

"Ru...Runaan!" he rushed to Runaan, crying as he hugged him hard enough to break both their backs "Etha...let go a second!"

Runaan couldn't even find the words to say to Ethari and instead just kissed him for so long. He held Ethari's face in his hands and smiled

"I returned your heart..." he said with tears in his eyes, barely getting the words out. Ethari then kissed him again. The Queen just stood there, watching and smiling.

"How… Everyone thought you were dead! THEY GHOSTED RAYLA WHEN THEY THOUGHT YOU DIED!" Ethari said through sobs, it left Runaan shocked he had forgotten about the flowers

"Ethari…." At this point the Queen decided to step in

"Well we have figured out why they were thought dead..." She waves to a guard who brings over the coins they had been trapped it "These coins are referred to as infinity coins, very powerful prisons, the dark mage used dark magic to force them into the coins and when he died the magic sustaining the spell slowly bled out, freeing them, there where a total of 4 coins 3 had Runaan Lain and Tiadrin… but the 4th was empty… he had threatened Rayla with that 4th coin"

It was a shock, none of them imagined they had been trapped in something like coins, but then Ethari spoke "Wait… Lain and Taidrin were also trapped!"

"Yes we were," Lain said coming into the room with Taidrin behind him

"My Queen we request taking a dragon to get to Rayla as fast as possible,"

"No we can't take a dragon we will be seen!" said Runaan but the queen didn't care

"Of course go now to your daughter all four of you… oh and Ethari may i speak with you in private?"

"Of course my queen", From those words Lain and them all left except for Ethari

"Ethari i want you to not tell them about all the changes in the world or of Rayla… they need to see the change for themselves, words won't convince their minds,"

Ethari knew the queen's words were true. They were too stubborn to believe words and it would only hurt them. "I understand my queen,'' He didn't want to hide the truth from Runaan, but he knew that if he told him it would cause more harm than good, besides, he wouldn't believe him until he saw it for himself…

After having told Ethari what to do she sent them on their way, Runaan had begrudgingly accepted riding a dragon to Rayla. They would soon see Rayla, and what has become of her over these 6 years. Why would she be at the royal palace? Who did she have a baby with? They asked all kinds of questions to Ethari hoping for answers. He told them what he could without disobeying the Queen's instructions, but his heart wrenched every time he told a half truth.

"Alright, we should be crossing the border soon," Ethari was happy for the change of pace, for one they would be landing to inform the bridge guard of their intentions, but also so Ethari could talk to Amaya.

He hasn't spoken with her since his last visit to the banthar lodge in the winter, "_Can't_ _believe that was 4 months ago.._." he thought to himself as the dragon they rode landed. "What is this Ethari?!" Lain asked while the other just gapped at what they saw before them, a bridge, one of human and Xadian design. It was beautiful, unlike anything before it, what was once called the breach now called the Bridge, stood a long golden bridge leading to the other side of the river of lava below, On each side of the river were a set of hands both expertly carved from stone, on the Xadian side a set of elvish hands, on the human side, human hands.

"After the prince was returned and things died down this bridge was made to signify peace, all who cross the border have to cross here even if they arrive on dragon," as Ethari explained the familiar face of general Amaya was seen rushing towards him. Runaan knew the face, he had managed to slip by her once before, the most dangerous human general he has ever seen, thinking she was going to attack Ethari Runaan quickly moved in front of Ethari as she approached.

What he did not count on though was Ethari pushing Runaan out the way some before Amaya slammed into Ethari giving him one of her classic bear hugs. It left Runaan stunned, why was the human so familiar with Ethari? "Runaan, Lain, Tiadrin, it's alright this is general Amaya, a friend,"

Amaya quickly began to sign to Ethari, "_How are you Ethari? What brings you here? And who are these people?_"

"Don't worry Amaya, just some people who need to see Rayla,"  
"_But who are they_?"  
She gestured to them pointing out the fact that they all stood there gapping at all the area like it is a foreign concept.

"Ah…. _They are Rayla's parents, the ones everyone thought were dead,_"

Ethari knew none of them knew KSL so he started to use what Callum had taught him to explain to Amaya, he explained how they had been coined and all that happened recently with them and his order from the Queen.

"_Ethari… Rayla and Callum are at the castle right now, y'all can keep going on the dragon_" Amaya signed almost too fast for Ethari to understand "_Thank you, They are desperate to see her…. I hope they are ready_" He hugged her goodbye and then hopped back on the dragon, the rest following suit. After they were set they quickly took flight again, in just 5 hours they would see their daughter again, but are they ready to see her?

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**OK**** I gotta admit, this took longer to upload than it should have, please tell me what y'all think.**


	3. Chapter 3

They rode for hours, it wasn't long before the castle came into view. As they made their approach they circled back to an area of the castle that hadn't been there when Runaan first came that fateful night, a dragon landing area, Ethari explained to them that the new king had a bond with the Dragon Prince and had decided to have an area for visiting dragons to land. What Ethari didn't expect was the King of Katolis, Ezran, to be there when they landed.  
"Ez, what are you doing out here?" asked Ethari once they landed, Runaan and they stayed behind Ethari, unsure of what to do with themselves.  
"What? I can't come to see when people arrive on a dragon? It doesn't happen as often as it should, what are you doing here Ethari?" Ezran asked as he hugged Ethari. They had just seen each other not a month ago but he still enjoyed seeing him.  
"I have some news for Rayla, they're alive," as he said that he gestured back to the rest. Runaan took note of the gesture and walked forward, and spoke "It is not my place to say this, but… I am glad I failed my mission, against you."  
As Realization of what Runaan said set into Ez he realized who he was "You're...you're the one who killed him…."  
"Yes….I am the one" When he said this a long silence fell on them all before Ezran spoke "I...I hate you..."  
"But... I forgive you…." It shocked them all there, Runaan especially was stunned. He thought to himself, _How could he forgive me?_, but Ezran continued

"I know it was just your job, I've come to accept my father was a flawed man, now that that is settled, Guard!" Runaan backstepped thinking the young king was going to exact revenge.  
"Send word to Rayla, her family is here, **all of them,**" Hearing his order the guard darted off back into the castle to find Rayla. "Okay, while he finds Rayla, you three follow Ethari to the guest rooms,"

Ethari gave a thankful look to Ezran just before Ezran quickly made his way away from them, but Runaan saw it, the young king was wiping his eyes just before disappearing into the castle, he shuddered, the boy had said he was forgiven but saw his actions still hurt the young boy to this day. Runaan never had to deal with the aftershocks of his missions, this was completely new to him. Something must have shown on his face because Ethari grabbed Runaan's hand and pulled him along to the guest rooms to talk, Lain and Tiadrin following.

* * *

Callum and Rayla were in their bedroom, Callum was drawing Rayla and their 15 month old daughter, Sarai, playing together. Callum only needed one look to draw it but he couldn't help but to keep looking back up each time smiling at the scene before him, Rayla with her amethyst eyes bright with the reflection of their daughter. The more he drew the more he focused on Sarai's details, her heathered gray hair, her cute horn nubs that Rayla was adamant would grow just like her's, her shorter but still pointed ears, and finally her eyes. Callum always focused on eyes the most in his drawings, he always thought Rayla's were the hardest to draw, that was until Sarai came along, Callum had never seen anything like it until he met Nyx, her eyes were both Callum's and Rayla's, one bright green like his and the other a beautiful amethyst, and he loved it, a new challenge.

As Callum kept drawing, a knock on the door sounded through the room, Callum did not want Rayla and Sarai to break up, so he got up and opened the door. A guard, he relayed a message from Ezran and quickly went on his way. Rayla had heard her name and knew to go ahead, leaving Callum with Sarai all the while questioning what he meant by all her family, Ethari was all she had left? Callum understood whatever was going on he just needed to stay with their daughter.

* * *

When Rayla got to the door of the guest room she had a knot in her stomach for some reason, she felt something was off. Then, she opened the door. When the door swung open she was awestruck, immediately she recognized the faces in the room, Lain and Tiadrin talking in the corner of the room and Ethari and Runnan on one of the beds. Before they could even say anything she slammed the door shut. Thoughts ran through her mind. _Is it really them? How? I thought they died! Where have they been?_ She asked herself over and over, but only one conclusion was able to be reached, she had to ask them. She didn't even notice that she had started to cry, was it a relief to see them? She didn't know, but before she could open the door again she turned to see it open just before lain and Tiadrin embracing her in a strong hug.

No words were spoken, just Rayla crying into her parents arms. Her mind raced as her sobbing continued unhindered, relief of their presence, the warmth of their bodies pressing on her making her feel safe, the sound of their hearts echoing through her mind reminding her with every beat that they are here, that they are alive.

It was several minutes before she stopped crying in their arms, Tiadrin wiped away the tear stains that covered both her and Rayla's face, "But..h-how?" Rayla rasped her thoat dry from her sobbing, "The mage, he put us in coins, but we are here now..." Lain said smiling at his daughter. Rayla's mind quickly put together the memories of Viren's collection drumming up, she knew, she had been so close to them without even knowing it.

Lain and Tiadrin, on the other hand, watched again as flashes of pain and grief crossed their daughter's face before she returned to sobbing in their arms. They felt like she hadn't grown up at all, that if they closed their eyes she would be the same girl they left on the day to the spire, but she was a grown woman, with a child, they had become grandparents and didn't even know it. She had grown and they missed it, they missed it all, Tiadrin started to join her daughter in the sobbing, her mind catching up fully with the events, the truth of their time away and how it hurt their daughter fully effecting her, "I'm so sorry we left you Rayla"

After the sobbing of the small family had died down, Runnan had finally gotten up from his spot next to Ethari and walked over to Rayla. "Rayla… I-I'm sorry… sorry for going through with the mission when you objected.." It was clear to her that he meant it, but also clear to her he had no clue how to say everything he wanted to say, settling with the little words he spoke she hugged him, "Thank you" she said.

* * *

It had been hours since Rayla left, and Callum had to put Sarai to sleep but decided to take her with him while he looked for Rayla. He walked around the castle, the Moon had begun to come out, he didn't need to look to know what phase, since he connected to the moon arcanum he's always known. As he walked the halls of the castle, Sarai began to shiver, the cool air blowing throughout the castle, Callum was used to this, and knew how to fix it, "Manus Pluma Volantis," Just as hundreds of times before his wings formed where his arms had been. He keeps Sarai nice and warm in his wings, both Rayla and Sarai loved them. As he walked he ran into a guard and asked if they had seen Rayla, they told him she was at the guest rooms.

When he arrived at the door to one of the rooms he could hear Rayla and Ethari and... other voices? It confused Callum greatly and he decided to open the door. He was not prepared for what he saw next, on the bed Rayla sat between two elfs he had only seen once before, _her parents from the spell!_ he thought to himself and off to the side was Ethari, and Runnan. It took him a moment to realize who it was, then remembered the night of the attack and how he fought Rayla, it was him… the one who killed his father, his eyes widened at the people in the room, and then quickly as she could Rayla darted for Callum, closing the door behind her as she pushed him out.

"Uh.. Rayla, can you explain what's going on?" Callum had just recovered from all the movement and began asking questions Rayla didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Well.. apparently Viren trapped them in the collection he mentioned to me," Callum just stood there for a moment, he had asked her to stop searching, that it could only lead to bad news. He never thought they were trapped. "Rayla… have you told them about us?" Callum was already worrying about them, he knew Runaan hated humans just from their first and only interaction, and he wasn't sure her parents were like Ethari, he figured Ethari was the minority back then.

"No, I haven't..." she had avoided the issue the whole evening.  
"We need to tell them, they're your family, they should know," Rayla simply nodded and turned to head back in, she knew arguing this was pointless and just wanted to get it over with, Callum followed behind her.

* * *

Once Callum and Rayla had stepped out of the room and the door closed everyone in the room, side for Ethari, sat there trying to process what had just happened, Was that a human they saw? Why did it have wings? Humans don't have wings. What was it holding? Was that a child in its wings? Why in the world did Rayla get up and leave the room with it so fast? These questions raced through their minds as they all looked at each other, seemingly all with the same questions except Ethari, who sat there like it was they all turned to Ethari, before Ethari had a chance to say anything Tiadrin spoke as fast as possible "Okay, we need explanations NOW. Ethari, why did that human have wings, only Ibis was able to do that back at the spire! And was that child Rayla's?!"

Before Ethari could respond the door opened, this time Rayla looked nervous, and behind her stood what they could only be sure of was a human, a human with wings mind you but a human.

"So… You've been asking about who I married and where my kid is… well this is them, Callum, my husband, archmage, and prince," Rayla said this while nervously rubbing her neck, but also looking proud of the titles that Callum has.  
"H-hello, uh... Rayla talked alot about you all before… Also good to see that Viren hadn't killed you like the spell made me think,'' All eyes fell on Callum, making him want to shrink back behind Rayla but she gently squeezed his shoulder, a reassurance that they had used for each other many times before.

"Um Rayla, Excuse me but what the fuck! You married a human! And had a kid with him?!" Tiadrin burst out at her.  
"Mom! Children!" Rayla bit back at her, gesturing over at Sarai as she shuffled in Callum's arms. Tiadrin quickly shut up.  
"But he uses dark magic! How can you have a kid with someone so vile!?" Lain piped up, throwing a disgusted look at Callum.

"He's an _Archmage _Dad, he has connected to every primal source!" Rayla was growing angry at her family, she knew they were not used to this new world but it still made her furious at what they called Callum.  
"WHAT!?" All of them shouted, a shout so loud that Sarai started to wake up crying, her sleep having been disturbed, and Callum quickly moved to the side of the room to calm her.  
"Great now she's awake! I had just got her to sleep!" Callum said as he rocked his child in his wings.  
"Ugh, see what you've done! Now she won't go to sleep for another 2 hours at least!" Rayla said glaring at her parents, as her motherly instinct kicked in, she moved to calm Sarai down, taking her from Callum and whispering into her ear.  
"I'm gonna go and take Sarai back to our room. It seems we aren't gonna be quiet so we can talk in the morning, goodnight Rayla, come join me once you've finished with them alright?" As he says this he quickly kisses her.  
"I think I'll join you now," she glares back at her family. "There's not much to say to them for now," Shooting a sharp look at her family she walked out with Sarai in her arms and Callum dismissing his wing spell, following behind her.

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**OK**** this was a bit longer than last time and school just loves to get in the way of everything i do so here is the newest chapter tell us what you think**


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